


First Argument

by ashara_tahnn



Series: The Maverick and The Negotiator [4]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Jedi Council - Freeform, Mission to Melida Daan (referenced), Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Bad At Feelings, Post-Vision Trauma, Protective Qui-Gon Jinn, Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28732038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashara_tahnn/pseuds/ashara_tahnn
Summary: In which Obi-Wan defies the Council for the first (and probably last) time ever, and Qui-Gon is baffled.Set when Obi-Wan was 14.
Relationships: Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi
Series: The Maverick and The Negotiator [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2093769
Comments: 1
Kudos: 91





	First Argument

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The_Last_Kenobi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Last_Kenobi/gifts).



> I know this isn't really much of an argument, but I don't think young Obi-Wan was physically capable of defying his superiors for more than three sentences. 
> 
> Big thank you to The_Last_Kenobi for the prompt!

Qui-Gon knew that he should be much calmer, but rationality during strained situations hadn’t ever been one of his strong suits. At the moment, his predominant emotion was confusion, but frustration was a close second.

Mere minutes ago, he and his padawan had been in the council room, receiving their next assignment, when Obi-Wan had interrupted Mace Windu in the middle of the briefing, flatly refused to accept the mission assignment, then left the room without so much as a word of explanation. 

Obi-Wan had been Qui-Gon’s padawan for almost a year now, but he had never pulled a stunt like this before. In fact, Obi-Wan’s behavior was so different from his usual quiet, obedient demeanor that Qui-Gon had been severely wrong-footed by the situation.

He palmed open his apartment door with more force than was necessary, not really expecting for his padawan to be inside. To his surprise, he found Obi-Wan standing by the living room window, staring catatonically out into space.

“What that was all about?” Qui-Gon asked, forcing his tone to remain calm.

Obi-Wan didn’t turn around. “I’m not going to Melida Daan.” He replied, his voice emotionless.

“So you said. Would you mind telling me why not?”

“I can’t.”

“You can’t? Obi-Wan, what—”

“You don't understand.” Obi-Wan’s voice had a slight edge now.

Qui-Gon breathed a long sigh. “Padawan, if you will not explain the reasoning behind your actions, then we will—”

“No!” Obi-Wan spun around, and Qui-Gon was taken aback by the look of sheer desperation in his padawan’s stormy turquoise eyes. “I won’t let it happen! Not again!”

Before Qui-Gon could even try to understand what he meant, Obi-Wan had rushed past him and out of the door. Qui-Gon recovered himself and stepped out into the corridor, but his padawan had already disappeared. Instead, he saw his close friend Tahl Uvain standing in the hall, looking both confused and somewhat resigned. She folded her arms and turned to Qui-Gon. 

“I’m assuming that had something to do with Mace sending me to find you?”

Qui-Gon stepped aside so that Tahl could enter the flat and gave a sigh. “Unfortunately, yes.”

Tahl seated herself on the sofa and looked up at Qui-Gon expectantly. “Well? What happened?”

“You mean before or after he refused the mission in front of the whole council?”

“After.”

Qui-Gon agitatedly ran a hand through his long hair. “I still have no idea. I think it might have something to do with a vision though. He said something about not going to Melida Daan because he could let ‘it’ happen again.” He began pacing nervously. “Why doesn’t Obi-Wan tell me? He’s only 14, Tahl! He shouldn’t have to deal with these things on his own!”

“I know, Qui.” Tahl replied, her tone calming. “It’s not your fault, and it’s not his either, but this is something you’re going to have to work through. Together.”

* * *

When Obi-Wan fled the apartment, his feet had instinctually carried him to his little patch in the Temple Gardens, his safe space. Now, he sat on the plush green moss, desperately trying to reign in his tumultuous emotions. Shame, frustration, fear, and determination hung over him like a heavy cloud. Forcing himself to breathe slowly, Obi-Wan pulled the small river stone, his thirteenth birthday gift from Qui-Gon, out of his pocket. He traced the swirling lines that laced across its cool, smooth surface. Qui-Gon. Thank the Force he doesn’t know. He shuddered to think of what his master’s reaction would be if Obi-Wan told him about the vision, about Tahl’s blinding, the bloody war on Melida Daan, and about himself leaving the Order. Then Obi-Wan remembered what Qui-Gon was about to say back in their apartment. That, if Obi-Wan couldn’t explain why they couldn’t go to Melida Daan, they would accept the mission. He dropped the stone in the moss beside him and held his head in his hands, feeling utterly lost. 

* * *

Qui-Gon had decided to let Obi-Wan work through his emotions on his own, knowing that chasing after his padawan would only make things worse. It was almost 0500 now, and he sat at the kitchen table, finishing some reports that he had been putting off.

When he sensed Obi-Wan approaching, he resisted the urge to leap out of his chair and simply looked up instead. Obi-Wan’s ocean blue eyes were conflicted as he silently placed a datapad on the table in front of Qui-Gon. Puzzled, Qui-Gon looked down at the display, then his eyes widened. This was Obi-Wan’s dream journal, where he recorded the events that he saw in visions, something that he had always kept private.

The entry displayed was dated from about one month ago, and the title read ‘Mission to Melida Daan’. Qui-Gon looked up at Obi-Wan, but his padawan just stared at the ‘pad, his expression unreadable, so Qui-Gon began to read.

Only one paragraph in, his heart was in his throat. Obi-Wan’s writing was terrifyingly descriptive and concise. Qui-Gon's horror only grew as he continued to read, but he couldn’t stop. After he reached the end, he just sat there for a moment, struggling to process the atrocity he had just read. Then, without preamble, he stood up and smothered his padawan in a firm hug. 

“I am so sorry, Obi-Wan.”

There was much more meaning in those words, but Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan understood every bit. After a minute, Qui-Gon stepped back, resting his hands on his apprentice’s slight shoulders. Obi-Wan’s eyes were suspiciously wet.

“Padawan, do you trust me?”

Obi-Wan blinked a few times, his forehead creased in confusion at the sipudden query. “Of course, Master.”

“Then why don’t you tell me about these things?” The question was blunt, but Qui-Gon had never been one to mince words, and subtlety didn’t work on his padawan. Obi-Wan looked at the floor. He hesitated for a moment before responding.

“I don’t want to be a burden.”

Qui-Gon could barely keep himself from groaning, though, it’s not exactly as if this reply was unexpected. Time for a new angle.

"You are _not_ a burden, Obi-Wan especially when it come to your visions. Taking care of you is part of my job, but I can't do it if you won't tell me what's wrong."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth, then closed it again, obviously unsure how to respond.

“Can you tell me why didn’t you explain your vision to the Council?” Qui-Gon asked gently, not saying _instead of making a fool out of the both of us._

Obi-Wan flinched minutely. He seemed to be considering his reply very carefully.

“I... didn’t think they would... understand. Master Yoda, he…” He trailed off, a hint of red creeping into his cheeks. 

Qui-Gon chuckled, imagining Yoda’s gravelly voice declaringing that, ‘Always in motion, the future is.’ With his own contentious relationship with the Council, he couldn’t exactly disagree with Obi-Wan’s reasoning.

“I understand, but they still need to be informed.”

Oddly, at this, Obi-Wan paled slightly. “What if they don’t cancel the mission, Master? I…” He faltered, but Qui-Gon knew he was thinking of the horrible events in his vision. 

“Then at the very least, you and I will not take the assignment, and I will make sure Tahl doesn’t either, but I think that they will listen this time.” He stepped back and glanced at the chrono on the wall. “I need to apprise the Council sooner rather than later if we are going to decline the mission." He looked down at Obi-Wan. "You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.”

Qui-Gon barely held back a grin at the look of pure relief on Obi-Wan’s face. 

“Thank you, Master.”

_Epilogue(ish):_   
_Qui-Gon told the Council about Obi-Wan’s vision, and they agreed to send a Jedi Scout to Melida Daan for a reconnaissance mission rather than the diplomatic venture that had been originally planned. The scout returned a few days later with the news that a civil war had broken out in earnest between the Melida and the Daan. The Council gave the information to the Senate, which, after an unusually minimal amount of bureaucratic red tape, sent an armed delegation to assist the Young in finding peace. Thanks to the early warning, the war ended only a week after it began, and a new government system was established. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan continued to grow together as master and padawan, and Obi-Wan gradually learned to be less afraid to rely on his master for help (at least where visions were concerned)._

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the weak ending, I'm not great at finishing stuff. Let me tell you people, I detest writers block so much it makes Anakin's relationship with sand look like a gushy romance. I'm not even joking. If anyone has any suggestions, please tell me in the comments!
> 
> P.S. I'm going to write some obitine soon, and I need ideas. I'm willing to write a whole series, but only if there's enough stuff y'all want me to write about, so let me know.


End file.
